We don't need a hero. This is an important message for both political candidates and the voters whose approval they seek.

One of the left's political heroes, a Texas Democratic gubernatorial candidate, took a hit last week when The Dallas Morning News reported: "As Wendy Davis touts life story in race for governor, key facts blurred."

Davis became a national political figure last year after she filibustered state legislation that banned most abortions after 20 weeks. (The legislation later passed.)

Her bold stand and her personal saga of going from a single mom to Harvard Law School grad to a Texas state senator helped her attract a significant number of supporters.

But Davis' real story is not quite a rags-to-riches fairy tale. While she was a single mother, she had already remarried by the time she attended Harvard Law School. (Her second husband helped foot the bill for her to attend college and law school.) She was not divorced from her first husband at 19, as she has said in recent years, but at 21.

President Obama's first campaign showed the astounding power that a candidate's personal story can have. Obama's saga of growing up biracial with a single mother captivated voters.

Since then, Americans have similarly been enthralled by would-be Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain's story about growing up in a "poor but happy" family to becoming a rich businessman, and Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren's story of going from a working-class childhood to becoming a Harvard law professor.

Sure, we all love stories that affirm that America remains the land of opportunity, even for those who face hard times. But there's no correlation between having an inspirational life story and having smart policy chops and political wisdom.

In fact, there should be concern about integrity when a politician makes up — or blurs — details about his or her life story.

Voters deserve some of the blame. Whether Democrat or Republican, voters seem inclined to select not just a preferred politician but also someone to idolize.

The reality is that it's hard enough to find good, honest men and women who can wisely govern, make smart calls about what legislation to vote for and against, and what issues to prioritize without requiring them to have an almost Hollywood-worthy life narrative.

The fact that Congress has approval ratings of 13%, according to a January Gallup Poll, shows that plenty of us aren't satisfied with the majority of folks in office.

We all enjoy a good tale in which someone overcomes tough times to emerge triumphant. But we should look to our family and friends, our neighbors and community, our faith leaders and our teachers to showcase those kinds of triumphs — and not to our politicians in Washington.

Katrina Trinko, a member of USA TODAY's Board of Contributors, is managing editor for The Foundry. Her views do not represent The Heritage Foundation.